For the skiers with good balance, excellent route finding and calm nerves. The Empress is quite possibly the most exposed line in the northeast. Start by locating the top of The Duchess. Walk down a steep talus slope, navigating aimlessly through loose boulders, to the top of a hanging snowfield. Click into the skis and take a few breaths, relatively mellow skiing for about 20 turns leads you seemingly to a dead end. Side slip to the right through a steep choke above a massive cliff. Hang a high left traverse, squeezing you ever so close to the edge of the cliff, until it’s possible to gain a skinny exit chute. Ski out with relief to the lower snowfields. Woooh, now wasn’t that something. In lean years, it’s possible to ski the top half of the hanging snowfield, then traverse right to finish on Duchess.